NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced Tuesday evening that Mavericks forward DeJuan Blair has been suspended without pay from Wednesday’s Game 5 in San Antonio for kicking Spurs forward Tiago Splitter in the head in Monday night.

Blair was ejected with 3:08 remaining in Game 4 at American Airlines Center after scoring 12 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes.

Blair and Splitter went for a loose ball, became entangled and fell to the floor. Blair was whistled for his fifth foul. In the aftermath, apparently in frustration of getting called for the foul, Blair kicked Splitter. Referees stopped the game and viewed replays, determining that Blair committed a “hostile act.”

After the game, Blair said he doubted he would be suspended, saying that he unintentionally hit Splitter’s head while kicking his foot in a show of emotion.
However, Thorn reviewed the play Tuesday and determined that further punishment was warranted.

Earlier Tuesday, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle declined to discuss Blair’s ejection and possible suspension, saying he still had not seen a clear replay of the kick.

Also earlier Tuesday, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “The league will do whatever it thinks is appropriate. I don’t even think twice about that sort of thing. We’re not involved in it, and they do what they think is appropriate in those situations.”

Blair’s suspension is reminiscent of another Maverick suspension in a Dallas-San Antonio playoff series.

Jason Terry (bottom, right) was suspended during the 2006 playoffs for this punch to the groin area of San Antonio's Michael Finley (File photo)

In Game 5 of the 2006 Western Conference semifinals, replays of the game’s closing seconds showed Mavericks guard Jason Terry punching Spurs guard and former Maverick teammate Michael Finley in the groin.

Another coincidence is that Blair played for the Spurs before joining the Mavericks, and Finley was a longtime Maverick before joining the Spurs.

Terry was suspended from Game 6 in Dallas but played a prominent role in the Mavericks’ Game 7 victory in San Antonio.

Top Picks

Comments

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.